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The U.K. government has discreetly urged Berlin to supply Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, as Germany refuses to greenlight this critical capability, Bloomberg reported on March 1, citing undisclosed sources.<\/p>\n
Taurus missiles<\/a>, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), have been the subject of extensive discussion<\/a> since Ukraine submitted a request to acquire the weapons in May 2023.<\/p>\n German Chancellor Olaf Scholz<\/a> reiterated his refusal to provide the missiles to Ukraine on Feb. 26, citing the alleged risk of drawing Berlin into the war.<\/p>\n Scholz later voiced fears that “if used incorrectly, (Taurus missiles) could reach a target in Moscow.”<\/p>\n U.K. officials have repeatedly made clear to Germany that Ukraine badly needs long-range missiles, Bloomberg reported<\/a>. One proposed solution allegedly involved a swap deal, where the U.K. would supply Ukraine with additional Storm Shadow missiles, and Germany would then backfill British long-range missile stocks.<\/p>\n Unlike Germany, both the U.K. and France have supplied Ukraine with its Storm Shadow<\/a> and SCALP<\/a> missiles with a range of over 250 kilometers (155 miles).<\/p>\n Scholz came under criticism<\/a> recently when he mentioned to journalists that the U.K. and France assist Ukraine with missile guidance. British lawmaker Tobias Ellwood accused the chancellor of a “flagrant abuse of intelligence.”<\/p>\n The German chancellor has repeatedly argued against sending the missiles allegedly because German soldiers would have to be sent to Ukraine to assist with the targeting.<\/p>\n The German parliament defense committee head, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, responded<\/strong><\/a> on X that Scholz’s claim was “false” and that “German soldiers are not needed on Ukrainian soil for Taurus.”<\/p>\n Read also:<\/b> Bundestag votes against Taurus missiles for Ukraine, supports sending \u2018necessary long-range missiles\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent<\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n